Spike-puller.



W. F. SCOTT.

SPIKE FULLER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 190m Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

WILFRED F. SCOTT, 0F UNIONTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPIKE-FULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1999.

Application filed May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,618.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILFRED F. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Uniontown, in the county of Fayette, State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spike-Pullers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices employed for drawing spikes and for like purposes, and more particularly to implements of the a class employed for drawing the spikes from railway ties, and has for one of its objects to improve the construction and increase the efficiency and utility of devices of this character.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simply constructed device whereby the spikes which are located in otherwise inaccessible position may be readily extracted.

Another object of the invention is to produce a simply constructed device whereby the spikes are drawn bodily upward, and prevented from being bent during the drawing operation.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction as hereafter shown and described and then specifically pointed out in the claims, and in the drawings illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure l is a side elevation of the improved device applied to a rail, the rail being in section. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the combined claw and lifting plate, detached. Fig. & is a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating the manner of applying the device to the withdrawing of spikes between the line rail and a guard rail.

The improved device comprises a yoke member formed of two spaced curved bars 1011 connected at suitable intervals by tie bolts 12, and with a plurality of rail engaging notches 13 at one end.

Connected at 14: between the member 1011 at the ends opposite to the notches 18 is a draw bar 15. Bearing upon the inner face of the bar 15 near its lower end is a plate 16 having a forked toe 17 at the lower end and a laterally projecting lip or lug 19 at the upper end, the plate 16 being secured to the bar 141 by clamp bolts 18. The forked toe portion 17 is arranged to engage upon opposite sides of the spike head, represented at 20, so that by applying force to the upper free end of the bar the spikes may be withdrawn from the tie indicated at 31. Bearing upon the rear face of the bar 14 is another plate 22, having a laterally directed upper terminal 23, the plate 22 having a longitudinal slot 24: through which the bolts 18. are arranged and clamp into the bar 141, so that the plate 241 is connected adjustably to the bar. The lower end of the bar 16L is rounded as shown at 25, and when the drawing operation is first applied the rounded portion 25 forms a fulcrum to enable the spike to be started in its upward movement, and then as the drawing operation continues the terminal 23 of the laterally directed portion 24 engages with the tie and forms a new fulcrum, to enable the withdrawal of the spike to be completed, and without bending the spike during the operation.

By forming the plate 22 adjustable upon the bar 14, the fulcrum point 23 may be likewise adjusted to correspond to the length of the spike to be withdrawn. The improved device is thus adapted to spikes of various lengths, so that a spike of any length may be withdrawn without bending during the withdrawing operation. In applying the improved device the yoke members 10-1l are engaged with the rail represented at 26, as shown in Fig. 1, and form a support to the bar 14 during the first periods of its operation, and hold the toe'portion in engagement with the spike.

In Fig. 3' is shown the means whereby a spike may be withdrawn when located in an inaccessible position, for instance between the main rail represented at 26 and a guard rail represented at 27, the spike 20 being located between these two rails. Heretofore difficulty has been experienced in removing these intermediate spikes, as the ordinary draw-bar cannot be applied, and special makes of draw-bars are necessary. With the improved device, however, with the use of the projecting lug 19 these otherwise inaccessible spikes may be very easily withdrawn by applying the improved implement as shown in Fig. 3, with the body of the bar bearing against the inner face of the guard rail 27, and with the claw 17 beneath the head of the spike 20, and then applying an ordinary draw-bar represented at 28 with its body portion resting upon the rail 26 and the toe portion 29 beneath the lug 19. It will thus be obvious that a very strong upward pull may be applied to the spike by depressing the free end of the draw bar 28. The spike under these conditions is drawn vertically for its whole length, and bending of the spike efiectually prevented.

The improved device is simple in construction, can be inexpensively manufactured, and operates effectually for the purposes described.

What is claimed is 1. A spike puller comprising a yoke mem- 7 her having notches for engagement with the head of a rail, a bar mounted to swing upon said yoke member, and a plate secured to said bar and provided with a claw at one end for engagement under the head of a spike and with a forward projection at the other end.

2. A spike puller comprising a yoke member having notches for engagement with the head of a rail, a bar mounted to swing upon said yoke member, a plate secured to said bar and provided with a claw at one end for engagement under the head of a spike, a fulcrum plate having a forward projection,

and means for adjustably securing said fulcruin plate to said bar at the side opposite to the claw plate.

3. In a spike puller, a yoke member formed of two downwardly curving members having rail engaging notches at one end, means for rigidly coupling said yoke members in spaced relations, a bar mounted to swing between said yoke members, a plate secured to said bar and provided with a claw at one end for engagement under the head of a spike and with a forward projection at the other end.

4:- In a spike puller, a yoke member formed of two downwardly curving members having rail engaging notches at one end, means for rigidly coupling said yoke members in spaced relations, a bar mounted to swing between said yoke members, a plate secured to said bar and provided with a claw at one end for engaging beneath the head of a spike, a fulcrum plate having a forward projection, and means for adjustably securing said fulcrum plate to said bar at the side opposite to the claw plate.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

WILFRED F. SCOTT.

IVitnesses:

CHARLES T. CRAMER, KATHERINE PHILLIPPI. 

